Two Can Keep A Secret
by R5MBAVWarriors
Summary: ...if one of them is dead. Reedclaw has a secret, and Yellowpaw knows. Based off the song "Secret" by The Pierces.


**Disclaimer: I need to start doing these. I mean, I don't upload anything hardly and I rarely update, soo...whatever. I don't own Warriors or the song "Secret". Erin Hunter and The Pierces do. But I do own the characters in this.**

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_Two Can Keep A Secret_

A cool breeze blew brightly-colored leaves through the already-chilled air. The forest was quite beautiful this time of year, with colors such as orange, red, yellow, and brown. However, with the cooler weather, prey was becoming scarce. And for this reason, I was out hunting. Well, one of the reasons anyways.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

I padded into camp, tail held high and jaws laden with prey. I had been exceptionally successful, finding a nest of mice down by the border with ShadowClan. Along with three or four of the unlucky ones, I had caught a skinny rabbit. Not much, but ThunderClan has only two elders.

After I had given the elders the rabbit, I strutted over and deposited my mice on the small fresh-kill pile. My stomach grumbled, and after choosing a small raven, I crouched down and took my first bite of the bird. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a small shape slide out from the apprentices den.

Turning my head, I recognized the cat to be Yellowpaw—a skinny, cowardly, little yellow tabby tom. He quickly threw a couple of glances to the sides, before setting off at a brisk pace towards the pile of prey a few tail-lengths in front of me. However, as he drew closer, he seemed to finally realize large tabby shape—me. The cat froze, his pale blue eyes glistening with fear. I sneered, showing long, yellowed teeth. Yellowpaw's tail bushed out a little, and, quick as a hare, he darted forward and grabbed one of the mice I caught, before scurrying back to the apprentices den.

I smirked through my last few bites. After I had buried the remains, I decided my fur looked a little dull, so I began giving my brown tabby pelt a thorough grooming. I had hardly started when pounding pawsteps sounded outside gorse tunnel. The few cats in the clearing looked up in confusion, as did I. However, I wasn't all that confused. In fact, I'm pretty sure I knew exactly what was wrong.

The evening patrol—Redwing, the Clan deputy, Petalwhisker, Honeystripe and her apprentice, Fawnpaw—burst into the clearing. Redwing, the leader of the patrol, yowled out, "Cats of ThunderClan! Our leader…he's dead!"

By now the rest of the Clan that wasn't out hunting or whatnot had gathered in the middle of camp. Cries of shock and disbelief filled the cool air. At the mouth of the apprentices den I saw Yellowpaw staring at me with horror-filled eyes.

As cats anxiously crowded around the deputy, Honeystripe appeared in the gorse tunnel dragging something behind her. It was the limp body of the ThunderClan leader, Stormstar. Icewhisker, Stormstar's daughter, let out a shriek and staggered forward, staring down at her father before collapsing beside him. Honeystripe stared sadly at the young she-cat, shaking her head.

I flexed my claws, glancing back at Yellowpaw. The apprentice had disappeared, and I rolled my eyes. Coward. He can't even face the body of his own leader.

Well, maybe it's understandable. Knowing something no other living soul knows…must be absolutely _horrible._

I let out a small chuckle. That worthless apprentice wouldn't tell anyone. He's just a coward.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"I say these words before the body of Stormstar, so he may hear and approve my choice. Reedclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

A small purr rose in my throat. Not expected, but I wasn't going to turn this down. As the Clan cheered my name and congratulated me, I saw a yellow flash from the corner of my eye. Of course, it was Yellowpaw. He was heading for the path up to Highledge, where Redstar's new den was.

After Redstar dismissed the meeting, I slid away from the small group of cats around me. Yellowpaw had been sitting anxiously at the foot of the rocky trail, waiting for the elders to take away Stormstar's body and the Clan to return to their regular duties. Forcing back a growl, I slinked through the shadows of the stone walls and stalked up behind the apprentice.

As he was about to stand up, I whispered in his ear in a dark voice, "Guess who?"

Yellowpaw nearly jumped ten tail-lengths into the air and whipped around to face me. "R-Reedclaw?"

I let out a purr. "Correct." Letting it die down, I growled, "Come with me."

The yellow tom studied his paws. "Actually, I told Cloverstep I'd go hunting for the queens…"

I snarled. "I'm deputy. That's an order."

Shaking in fear, Yellowpaw nodded. "Y-yes, Reedclaw."

"Good." I stalked out into the clearing, heading towards the gorse tunnel. Flicking back my ears, I heard Yellowpaw's light pawsteps behind me.

We had soon entered the leaf-fall forest, and after a few minutes of silent walking, we had reached the far border of ThunderClan, the one that led out into unknown territory.

"W-why are we here?" Yellowpaw asked quietly.

I turned around to face him. "So no one will hear us."

The apprentice shrunk to the ground. "What are you gonna do to me?"

I unsheathed my claws. "I know you know."

"I-I know what?"

I hissed in his face. "You idiot! Don't play innocent, I know you know that _I_ was the one who killed Stormstar!"

The small yellow tabby let out a growl. Although I didn't show it, this surprised me. He stood to his full height, however, his eyes were only at my chin. "How could you kill you own leader? You're heartless!"

"Oh, so _I'm _heartless?! That flea-ridden pile of fox-dung _stole _my mate!" I snarled, slight pain in my voice. "My own brother!"

Yellowpaw's angry look immediately turned to confusion. "Stormstar was your _brother?_"

My hatred fueled again, and I scored the ground with my claws. "Yes! Yes he was! It was back when we were just young warriors, and this pretty she-cat named Badgerflower had me wrapped around her little tail. I was sure she was going to have my kits in a couple of moons, but when _he _became deputy, Badgerflower _left _me! Then, before you know it, here comes _little Icekit_." My voice had dropped to a whisper now, and I could no long meet the apprentice's eyes. "Badgerflower died a couple moons after she was born…."

"Reedclaw, that's…that's horrible," Yellowpaw murmured. Then his mew hardened. "But that doesn't mean you should've _murdered_ your brother!"

My rage boiled again. "Shut up!" I shrieked, scoring my long claws down the tom's face. Yellowpaw cried out in pain, flinching backwards.

Holding a paw to his left eye, he snarled. "I _will_ tell Redstar, Reedclaw. Your little secret will be revealed to the whole Clan, and you'll be exiled, maybe even killed yourself!"

My rage boiled up again, and I let a small smirk form on my mouth. "No, you're going to keep it, alright." I took a threatening step towards Yellowpaw, my claws glistening with his blood.

The anger in Yellowpaw's visible right eye quickly changed to fear. "Y-you can't make me! I'll tell Redstar, and h-he'll exile you, then I'll be made a warrior! Yellowstripe!"

I laughed menacingly. "You? A_ warrior?!_ Ha! If _I _were leader, you little runt, I'd call you Yellowbelly! Coward."

Yellowpaw began shaking. "No! You'll never become leader! I'll tell the whole Clan your secret! You can't make me keep it!"

I bared my teeth and flexed my claws, advancing on the apprentice. He scrambled backwards, trying to escape, but with one quick movement, I had him pinned underneath me. I raised an unsheathed paw, and when Yellowpaw saw it, he began wriggling even more than he already was.

I let out a sickly-sweet purr. "Oh, trust me, Yellowpaw. Two can keep a secret…" The apprentice tensed underneath me, staring up at me with his bloodied face.

"…if one of them is dead." With this, I brought down my paw on Yellowpaw's neck. Before he even had time to cry out, a deep gash was in his throat and blood was pouring out like a waterfall. He writhed in pain, with each movement getting weaker. He eventually stopped moving completely, and with one last breath, Yellowpaw's eyes glazed over. He was dead.

Staring at my work, I began licking the bittersweet blood off my paws. When I finished, I threw one last glance at Yellowpaw's mangled body before setting back off towards camp.

Then, without warning, a mouse darted across my path. Quick as an adder, I flashed out a paw and ended its life. I hooked it with a claw and held it up to my eye level. "No one will ever know," I whispered, almost inaudible.

"No one will ever know."


End file.
